Page 33 of BillionHeir
_______________________
Chloe
“So you are the Maxwell Banks,” Colin says, holding out his hand.
“And you are the cousin. Colin, was it?” Maxwell says with a light-hearted grin on his face.
“That is right, Colin Russell.”
I watch as the two men shake hands and settle down at our table that Liam has now joined as well.
“You two met, I presume?” I ask, gesturing between my cousin and Maxwell’s best friend.
“We did, indeed. We had plenty of time while you two were snogging out there,” Liam says before taking a sip of his beer.
I feel embarrassment creep up my cheeks, but I try to ignore it as I take my seat across the table from them. Maxwell waits for me to settle into the booth before sliding in next to me and taking my hand once again. I look down at our hands and then back up into his eyes.
“I hope this is okay,” he murmurs quietly as he squeezes my hand.
I nod and give him a shy smile. I am still not sure what is going to happen between us, but at least for tonight, I am tired of trying to fight these intense feelings for him. I might end up getting hurt even worse than before, but that is a risk I am willing to take for one more night with him.
“So tell me about yourself, Maxwell,” Colin says like a protective older brother.
“What do you want to know?” Maxwell asks, not skipping a beat. If Colin is trying to intimidate him, it is not going to work.
A phone vibrates on the table, and everyone pauses to see whose it is. Liam picks up his phone and answers the call.
“Codswallow,” he says laughing at something as he greets the person on the other end of the line. He holds a finger up to us politely, then stands and walks away to continue the call.
He comes back only a few seconds later .
“That was Henry. He wants everyone to know how sorry he is, but he is hung up in the kitchen of his new premier restaurant and isn’t going to be able to make it.”
“That is a shame,” Colin says. “Sounds like we need to have another pint in his honor!”
Maxwell laughs and Liam heads to the bar with Colin for another round. I am not at all surprised that Colin is getting on so well with them. He has always been able to get on with others easily.
Throughout the night, Maxwell never takes his hand off of me. He stays tethered to me in some form or another as though he is afraid I am going to run away. I suppose that isn’t all that improbable after my histrionics earlier.
I still can’t believe that was just today.
So much has happened, and yet, not all that much has changed. Maxwell is still an ultra-rich business mogul. And an American. My mum is still sick here in the UK. And I am just a girl, falling in love with a man in what feels like an impossible situation.
Wait.
Falling in love?
I turn to look at Maxwell. He is deep in conversation with Colin and Liam about some business matter that I have been tuning out during my little revelation.
But he pauses a moment to look over at me and smile, soothing his thumb across the back of my hand sweetly before returning to what he was saying, showing me that even though he is not speaking to me, he is still thinking about me.
Could I really be in love?
* * *
“Come back to the hotel with me,” Maxwell proposes, pausing a moment before adding, “Please?” His eyes plead with me to accept.
We are standing on the street outside the pub as our group starts to disburse. It would be easy to say no. It would be easier in the long run if I let Maxwell go and put him solidly in the past.
But right now, every bone in my body is pleading right along with him to give in to his request. It is not like anyone will miss me if I don’t sleep in my hotel room tonight. No one would be the wiser if I gave into this physical chemistry between us and went back to his hotel instead.
I look over to see Colin talking with Liam. Since he showed up, I have hardly been able to get a word in edgewise. I am sure he wouldn’t mind cutting our night short.
Maxwell squeezes my hand, bringing my focus back to him.
I could probably come up with a reason not to go with him tonight, but I don’t want to make excuses.
What I want is him.
“Okay,” I answer, squeezing his hand back, my eyes firmly connected with his .
“Really?” he says, his voice sounding equal parts dubious and relieved.
I feel a gentle tug and before I know what is going on, I am wrapped in his arms. I feel his lips on my head as he sighs with relief.
“We are calling it a night, boys,” he says over my shoulder.
One of his arms rises just above my head and then he is leading me to another all-black SUV with his arm still wrapped tightly around my shoulders.
He opens the door before the driver can get out to do it for us, then offers me his hand to climb into the vehicle, following quickly after me.
As I reach for my seatbelt, the door closes and the driver pulls out into the night.
“Worried I was going to change my mind?” I ask with one eyebrow raised.
“Can’t be too careful,” Maxwell says, winking smoothly as he closes the distance between us, choosing to sit directly next to me in the middle seat. He snaps his seatbelt in and then entwines our fingers the same way he has done several times tonight.
Who is this man and what did he do with the asshole back in Maine?
* * *
“This place is huge,” I marvel as I try to wrap my head around the grandiosity of this penthouse that feels more like a large upscale apartment .
It is mostly dark outside, making the massive windows at the other side of the room stand out. I cross to them and look out into the night. The view is much different from the Boston view, but no less beautiful. Things are so different here in England, and yet, somehow I love both places equally.
Maxwell comes up behind me, his hands finding my waist at the same time as his mouth finds the soft skin just beneath my ear. His kisses send goosebumps all the way down to my toes.
“Is it too much?” he asks as I spin in his arms, far preferring a view of him to the twinkling city lights.
It takes me a second to understand what he is talking about, but then finally I remember my comment about the room.
“Maybe a little. But then you wouldn’t be you.”
If there is anything I know about Maxwell Banks, it is that he is used to this level of wealth and sophistication. I have never been the kind of girl who was treated to this type of luxury. I don’t know if I will ever adjust to it, but I have got to admit, it is rather nice.
“Why do I get the feeling that wasn’t a compliment?” he asks with amusement in his voice as he answers against my lips before finally kissing me.
My thoughts about the extravagant room, my mother’s complex medical issues, and the things that had me running from him all drift away. I allow myself to truly let go. His hands find my hips to pull me closer as I wrap my arms around his neck and press my body against his.
“Mmm,” I moan against his lips, loving the way he makes me feel when we are wrapped up with each other.
Maxwell pulls away with a groan. His eyes find mine and search them, for what I don’t know.
“Are you okay?” he whispers.
I cock my head to the side as I try to figure out what he is asking. “Yes,” I answer tentatively.
“Why were you going to the hospital? Are you sick?”
I shake my head no as I realize what this is all about. “I am healthy. It is my mum. Her cancer is back.”
He escorts me over to a large, overstuffed sofa, keeping his hands on me as we sit together.
“Tell me everything,” he says, bringing his thumb up to wipe away a tear that escapes.
“She was first diagnosed in my second year at uni. She completed treatment and has been in remission for the last year and half, but she has been unable to work. I send her every penny that I can scrape together to help her get by. She has been feeling under the weather lately, so she went in for an early scan. That is when they found another tumor. I got the call on Saturday, at your house, just after I went inside.”
“That is why you left so suddenly,” Maxwell says as he begins to fully understand the situation .
I give him an apologetic look. “I know it was terrible timing, but I was already upset when she called. It felt like the right decision.”
He seems to take all this information in stride, never mentioning our relationship or the fact that we haven’t talked things through yet. “What can I do to help?”
“I am afraid there isn’t much unless you are secretly an oncologist. We are still waiting to hear back from the hospital about the latest round of lab results. Until then, it is just a waiting game.”
Maxwell nods but looks distracted, like he is trying to solve the problem in his head.
“I can see why you have been so upset,” he says, pulling me into his lap and wrapping me up in his arms. I don’t fight him. Instead, I curl into him, leaning forward and resting my head against his chest, soaking up his intoxicating scent.
I don’t know what is going on with us, or where we stand.
All I know in this moment, after hearing about my mom, is that I really need the comfort he is offering.
And it is probably true that I could, and should, be seeking this comfort from someone who is more suited to me.
But if I am being honest with myself, even after everything we have been through this week, Maxwell is the only person I want .
It is as though he can read my mind when he pulls me in a little tighter and rubs his hands up and down my back soothingly. I lift my head up to look at him as he leans forward.
Just when I expect him to kiss me, he surprises me by aiming higher and planting his lips on my forehead.
“Let me take care of you,” he murmurs against my skin.
I don’t have the energy to fight him. All I can do is nod my head.
Without any warning, he tightens his arms around me and stands, lifting both of our weight effortlessly. Confidently, he strides across the spacious suite directly through a bedroom with an enormous fluffy bed and into the bathroom.
He sets me down on the marble countertop and walks over to a clawfoot tub, turning on the tap and plugging the drain.
Then he pulls out a basket filled with an assortment of the most expensive bath products imaginable.
He removes some type of scented oil in a fancy bottle and pours a hefty amount of it into the water that is quickly starting to steam up the bathroom.
He turns and faces me when he is done, and I can’t quite read the look on his face. He looks pensive and determined. I am not sure that I have ever seen him behave like this.
But I think I like it.
He walks back up to me, and I think he is going to kiss me. But again he kisses my forehead, leaving me practically panting for more contact. When he pulls away, he has a solemn look on his face.
“I don’t want tonight to be about sex. I want you, don’t get me wrong,” he says, giving me a look before gesturing down at his very obvious erection tenting his pants.
I giggle a little as I meet his eyes again.
“I am always like this when you are around, if you hadn’t noticed already,” he says, laughing in spite of himself. “But back to what I was saying. As much as I want you, so badly want you, what I want even more is to take care of you.”
I start to object, but he won’t be swayed. He presses one of his fingers to my lips sweetly, then reaches down and lifts the hem of my shirt, not stopping until it is over my head and discarded on the floor.
He helps me off the counter and gently removes the rest of my clothes, then turns back to the nearly full bathtub.
“Perfect,” he says, leading me over and helping me into it.
“You are not going to join me?” I ask as he turns off the tap.
“As much as I would like to, I am afraid if I get in there with you, I won’t be able to keep my hands off of you. Besides, this is for you. Enjoy.” He smiles and walks away, leaving me dumbfounded.
I can’t believe the man I am seeing tonight. He is a totally different person. It is a little hard to wrap my head around, honestly .
When he comes back into the bathroom, my fingers are just on their way to pruney, and I am no less clear on what I should do about my relationship with Max. I don’t know how to reconcile the man who said such nasty things about me with the man who is going to such lengths to make me happy.
His eyes search mine as though sensing my shift in mood, but he wisely chooses to stay quiet, offering his hand to help me out of the bath without slipping. I take it and do my best to gracefully step out without splashing water everywhere.
Maxwell is ready with a prewarmed towel that he pulls out of a device next to the bathtub. The luxury in this hotel is miles above anything I have ever experienced in my life. It is quite lovely.
I follow him through to the bedroom where he has a pajama set laid out on the bed for me.
“Where did you get those?” I ask, looking at the black satin tank top and matching shorts.
“As soon as you agreed to stay the night, I sent a text to Ethan for some necessities.”
“At this hour?”
“He gets paid well enough to answer me at any hour.”
I slip the decadent clothes onto my body after Maxwell disappears into the other room.
Once I am dressed, I go back into the bathroom to brush my teeth.
I am just putting toothpaste on a new toothbrush that was waiting for me on the counter when he joins me, taking the toothpaste from my hand and putting some on his own toothbrush.
There is something so sweet about spending time with him like this. Yes, I know we just lived together for several weeks, but apart from those first couple of days where he needed help doing even the most mundane things, I never really saw him this vulnerable.
Yet there is a whole new side of this man that I am only just witnessing.